Charles Barkley blasts Derrick Rose's 'stupid' injury comments

Diposkan oleh silent aja 7:49 PM Post a Comment

On Thursday night's Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley ripped Derrick Rose for the oft-injured guard's recent comments about how his playing decisions are based on long-term thoughts about his health, rather than the team that pays him tens of millions of dollars.

Here's what Rose told reporters this week:

'I'm thinking about long term. I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball. Having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to, I don't want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son's graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past. [I'm] just learning and being smart.'

Rose was unapologetic when TNT's Rachel Nichols asked about him the quotes, which led Barkley into one of his patented, keeping-it-real diatribes. 'Do you take issue with what he said,' Ernie Johnson against Barkley.

'Of course I do. That was stupid. Derrick Rose is a great player, he's a great kid. Love his mom. That was stupid. You know, Ernie, we're so blessed. I limp around but I go home to a big ol' mansion. There's people who work harder than Derrick Rose who go home to a shack. 'There are consequences to what we do for a living. We got the best life in the world. I'm a poor black kid from Leeds, Alabama who grew up in the porjects and listen, I don't mind limping around because when I go home, there's a big ol' house. I got good sheets - I don't know the thread count, but they're good. I got a big ol' car. I never have to worry about my bills. There are pros and cons to what we do for a living. Derrick Rose is making $20 million a year. He got a couple bad knees. That's disrespectful to maids, people who are in the army who go out and kill people and get killed. They got no arms and no legs. As much as I like Derrick Rose, that is just flat-out stupid.'

Shaq and Kenny Smith tried to defend Rose by explaining how he should have phrased his comments. (He should have said he was doing this to help the team win a championship and extend his career, was one suggestion.) But that's not what Rose said. He said he didn't want to be sore at meetings and wanted to be healthy for his son's high school graduation. Again, those are noble, reasonable goals. But they don't jibe with Rose's other goal of being a great basketball player who leads his team to a championship. It's like if Neil Armstrong said he wanted to be the first man on the moon, just without the risk of getting there.

If you want to stay healthy, retire. If you want to get paid to play basketball, then do it without complaint.

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